What are some difficulties that must be overcome before ...

[jenna1]

What are some difficulties that must be overcome before deep-ocean floor mining can take place? What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

Reclamation bond money is routinely collected from mining companies with the idea that this money
  will insure that the mined areas will be cleaned up and made safe once mining ceases? What actually
  happens when a mining operation goes bankrupt? Who ends up paying the bill? What will be an ideal response?

[bigcheese9]

Answer to Question 1

ANS:Apart
from international disputes that might arise over who owns what, there are some technical and
environmental concerns that should be addressed. The physical devices needed to recover ore from the
ocean floor are the stuff of science fiction in the sense that the location is as hostile to humans as outer
space. Submersibles are much like spacecraft. The main question is how to economically transport
ore up through a water column that is many kilometers deep. Environmental concerns center on
pristine and unique life forms that cluster around thermal hot springs on the ocean floor. These are the
same hot springs that concentrate valuable minerals. Mining is a potential threat to these life forms.

Answer to Question 2

In several recent occurrences where companies have filed for bankruptcy, the reclamation bond was
insufficient to cover cleanup costs. Taxpayers ended up paying the bill